The best of the best

Hua Hin is hands down one of the favoured beach resorts from Bangkok. Partly due to its vicinity to the city as people choose to head down for the weekend for some sea air, whilst many others call Hua Hin their home thanks to the relaxed lifestyle it offers. Mountain View is a stunning new residential complex by Union Development Ltd. consisting of private villas ranging from two to six bedrooms. All are complete with their own pool, fitted with the latest technology for enhanced living, and the developer’s flexible approach to the configuration on each property allows owners to have a layout ideally suited to their needs. Thailand Property meets with Khun Tony, chief technology officer, and Khun Karl, chief executive officer, from Union Development Ltd. to learn more about Mountain View and why it won the ‘Best of the best Residences’ from the 2016 Dot Property Awards.

There is no doubt that Hua Hin Mountain View is in an idyllic location. Tell me a bit more about why you felt this was the perfect spot for this project?We searched a long time to make sure we got exactly the right spot for Mountain View as our years of experience have shown that location is the most important aspect for any investment. This applies to the developer but also to the owner as the location will influence how quick they can rent or sell it later down the line. So we strived to find the right balance of being close to the city for access to amenities such as the new shopping mall BlúPort, but also to be close to nature to enjoy the stunning surrounding mountain views. As our villas are built for all ages we need to be mindful to appeal to the desires of both markets.

You mentioned that you aimed for a wide demographic, how have you achieved this? Well, the villas are built for all ages and take into consideration that we all get older. It is also important to recognise that owners consider Mountain View to be an investment to it is imperative to make them futureproof. Younger purchaser will like that you can control nearly everything with their smartphone or tablet even when they are not at home through the Smart House System, and the older buyers will be pleased that there are no stairs in their home!

Hua Hin Mountain View is labelled as elegant, luxurious, green and age friendly. Why were these factors particularly important?This is our understanding of a high quality development as we have built in exactly this way for decades in Germany. Requirements in Europe, and especially Germany, are much higher than compared to Asia or the rest of the world. Germany has rules for everything from low energy consumption, noise pollution and sustainable development, and we are certain that this kind of approach will reach Thailand and people will ask for it more and more.

We have briefly touched on the green credentials at Hua Hin Mountain View but why did you feel it was necessary to create a development with these?Our resources are not unlimited. Studies have shown that we use one and half times the resources our planet generates in a year, in about 15 years we will consume the double of what our earth is able to produce. We need to take more responsibility for our environment and we believe that as a developer we can play a role in this as the concept isn’t new to us in Germany. We have researched and developed systems like this for over a decade which we can adapt a little for Thailand to become forerunners in Asia. And this all comes with huge benefits to our customers.

What kind of benefits are you referring to?The most important thing is to understand is that the single elements on their own will not lead necessarily result in big benefits, rather the combination of them will produce results. It isn’t uncommon to see properties with double glazed windows or aluminium heat protection on the roof but often the developer may not understand the principles behind them. For example, all the villas at Hua Hin Mountain View will have double glazed aluminium windows with fitted aluminium roller shutters. Combine these with our 26 cm exterior walls plus our different insulation systems (e.g. TTCS+ and Safety Cool Protect System), and the customer will benefit from a massive energy saving as good insulation means less stress for the air conditioning. Likewise, each villa will have a 3kW solar power system that will provide the energy for that home, but as each villa comes with its own batteries, any excess energy can be stored and be shared with the rest of the resort.

How has the market responded to these cutting edge ideas?Extremely well. People are surprised how luxury and energy efficiency can be combined, however they aren’t drawn in just by its sustainability, but they like the whole package. In particular the Smart Home System that allows you to fit your home in your pocket wherever you are in the world. We have become so dependable on our smartphones over the last few years, we can access any information in a second, and this same ethos applies to controlling your home. It can all be done at your fingertips at Hua Hin Mountain View.

Lastly, I can see that a lot of care and consideration has gone into choosing the fixtures and fittings at Hua Hin Mountain View, why is this important?We know that we can get cheaper alternatives rather than real tiles from Italy, but the point is that someone who knows both qualities will see it, feel it and will always select the product with the higher quality. Our customers expect the best from us and we do everything not to disappoint them, and this is our attitude to building. We are German through and through and it´s against our honour as a developer to offer a poorer quality when the best quality is available.

About the author

Having worked in the property world for over a decade in London and Bangkok, Virginia is now the editor at Dot Property. Contributing to both print and online, she would love to hear all your news, views, press releases and comments via virginia@dotpropertygroup.com